Drainfield rejuvenation is a term used by companies that offer the Terralift as an alternative drainfield repair. Some of these claim it is a “technological breakthrough” in soil restoration and that it “rejuvenates exhausted drainfields.” This process DOES NOT restore the soil nor does it “rejuvenate” drainfields. Caution must be taken and definitions clearly understood.

Merriam-Webster defines rejuvenate as 1a. to make young or youthful again: give new vigor to and 1b. to restore to an original or new state. One must understand the processes taking place in a drainfield to understand why the drainfield fails (drainfield failure) and what constitutes drainfield rejuvenation. The Terralift process DOES NOT make the drainfield “young or youthful again” nor does it restore the drainfield to “an original state.”

The Terralift process physically breaks up the biomat creating fissures or pathways for the wastewater to flow through the “clogging layer.” Polystyrene pellets are injected at the same time to keep the factures open. Only that area around where the probe is inserted into the soil becomes fractured. Claims are made that the process also creates an “aerobic condition” in the soil. There are problems with this claim because soil is aerobic (with air/oxygen) naturally. Mechanical manipulation of the absorption surface of the drainfield does not create an “aerobic condition.”

Understanding the definitions is very important. Soil restoration is a term used to denote returning the soil conditions to some prior natural state. The Terralift process does nothing to restore the soil but as stated above is a physical manipulation of the “clogging layer” or biomat portion of the absorption surface of a drainfield. In fact, the biomat will, over time, form in and around the pathways previously opened by the Terralift process.

The soil in a drainfield becomes anaerobic (no oxygen) or more accurately, anoxic (greatly deficient in oxygen) over time. Oxygen is removed from the soil by microbes in the soil as they break down the “contaminants” in the wastewater. One “contaminant” is BOD (biological oxygen demand). This is a measure of how much oxygen has to be removed from the environment by the bacteria in order to break down the wastewater. This biological activity creates an area within the soil absorption surface of the drainfield that is anoxic. This layer is usually 2-5 inches thick; sometimes more. The biomat develops as a direct result of the bacteria pulling oxygen from the soil in order to breakdown the wastewater.

With this brief narrative, you can see that drainfield rejuvenation does not occur simply by breaking up the biomat. Drainfield rejuvenation does not occur as a result of the Terralift process. Drainfield rejuvenation only occurs when the biomat is reversed or removed by some other process.

Drainfield rejuvenation is effectively accomplished by introducing oxygen directly into the anoxic zone of the drainfield. When this is done, the bacteria begin to use the introduced oxygen in their cellular processes (cellular respiration- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration). Drainfield rejuvenation is the end result after the biomat is digested and removed by the bacteria already present.

We are not suggesting that the Terralift doesn’t work. In fact, good results have been obtained. It should be noted, however, that this process does not rejuvenate a drainfield. Rather, it temporarily opens the “clogging layer” so that wastewater can move through it. The drainfield begins to work again until the biomat reforms in the fissures as stated above.

Drainfield rejuvenation can be permanently accomplished by installing the RetroFAST wastewater treatment system. The RetroFAST treats the wastewater before it leaves the septic tank. Treated oxygenated water is delivered to the drainfield and drainfield rejuvenation takes place. Results can be seen in as little as two weeks.

The RetroFAST is the “only alternative drainfield repair” in Florida that is EPA tested and verified technology. It also has a 100% money back guarantee if it doesn’t rejuvenate the drainfield within one year.

Call us today to see if your system is a candidate for this drainfield rejuvenation product- the RetroFAST!